1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a pallet or other like cargo supporting article which can be produced in an injection molding or like process. Each of the pallet articles includes a number of variations in surface patterning, the configuration of which can be optimized in order to achieve any one or more of fluid drainage, gaseous release or frictional retention of cargo items supported thereupon.
2. Background of the Relevant Art
The prior art is documented with numerous examples of pallet-like articles exhibiting some form of texturized or configured surface. A first example of this is the nestable pallet of Koefelda, U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,832 which teaches a top deck having openings formed therein and which correspond with foot portions. The openings each define a pocket for receiving a foot portion of a like pallet in a nesting orientation. In further embodiments, the pockets include at least one drainage aperture and/or at least one nesting stop portion associated with the upper surface of the top deck.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,955, to Salce, teaches a plastic pallet cover for isolating a pallet load from the wood surface of the pallet. The pallet cover is formed by a molding operation and includes a grid of internal ribs and edge walls to provide strength, rigidity and positional stability. The upper surface of the pallet cover includes raised extrusions to improve the friction grip on the pallet load, as well as drainage and weep holes to prevent contaminating fluids from collecting, stagnating and comingling on the surface of the isolating cover or on the underlying pallet.
Additional examples of pallet structure with surface configurations include each of Favaron, U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,488, Martinsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,537, and Hammond, U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,375. Of these, Martinsen exhibits surface drainage apertures and Hammond an upper mold surface exhibiting open ended drainage, ventilating and reinforcing channels and rows of bosses formed in its lower surface spaced apart to receive forklift prongs.